Jute prices delight farmers

Farmers of the district are happy with the high price of jute in the current season. They are now busy separating jute fibre from the plants and drying it before marketing.
There has been low yield of jute this year because of heavy rains at the initial stage, leading to short supply and price rise in the markets.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Lalmoirhat, this year farmers cultivated jute on 4,840 hectares of land while it was earmarked at 4,263 hectares with a production target of 45,992 bales in the current season.  
Currently, one mound (40 kgs) of jute is selling at Tk 1,600 to Tk 1,800 in the local markets while it was only Tk 1,000 to Tk 1,200 last year.  The cultivation of the jute has declined in the areas as farmers do not often get the fair price and that there is a rise in the use of plastic products and polyethylene bags. Though the government is inspiring the people to switch to bio-degradable jute bags the use of polythene and plastic bags is not declining in real term.
Jasim Uddin, a farmer of Pathantari village of the Aditmari upazila, said he cultivated jute on 2.5 bighas of land this year, but the yield is not satisfactory and he now only expect 10-12 mounds of jute. He can at best earn Tk 20,000 against the expenditure of Tk 15,000. He said if government ensures fair price and stop the use the polythene bags the cultivation of jute will increase again.
A farmer at Telipara village in sadar upazila said once jute was called the golden fibre of Bangladesh, but those golden days of jute are no more. If the government takes proper initiatives to enforce the ban on use of polyethylene bags and encourage the people to use jute bags and sacks the jute cultivation will increase in the future.
This year, the price of jute is satisfactory as the production of jute has dropped causing a shortfall in supply.

Jute prices delight farmers

Farmers of the district are happy with the high price of jute in the current season. They are now busy separating jute fibre from the plants and drying it before marketing. There has been low yield of jute this year because of heavy rains at the initial stage, leading to short supply and price rise in the markets. According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Lalmoirhat, this year farmers cultivated jute on 4,840 hectares of land while it was earmarked at 4,263 hectares with a production target of 45,992 bales in the current season. Currently, one mound (40 kgs) of jute is selling at Tk 1,600 to Tk 1,800 in the local markets while it was only Tk 1,000 to Tk 1,200 last year. The cultivation of the jute has declined in the areas as farmers do not often get the fair price and that there is a rise in the use of plastic products and polyethylene bags. Though the government is inspiring the people to switch to bio-degradable jute bags the use of polythene and plastic bags is not declining in real term. Jasim Uddin, a farmer of Pathantari village of the Aditmari upazila, said he cultivated jute on 2.5 bighas of land this year, but the yield is not satisfactory and he now only expect 10-12 mounds of jute. He can at best earn Tk 20,000 against the expenditure of Tk 15,000. He said if government ensures fair price and stop the use the polythene bags the cultivation of jute will increase again. A farmer at Telipara village in sadar upazila said once jute was called the golden fibre of Bangladesh, but those golden days of jute are no more. If the government takes proper initiatives to enforce the ban on use of polyethylene bags and encourage the people to use jute bags and sacks the jute cultivation will increase in the future. This year, the price of jute is satisfactory as the production of jute has dropped causing a shortfall in supply.